Battle of the Rams cut short

The Rolesville defense debuted with bangs during the brief Franklinton encounter. Ram linebacker Darrius Robinson (No. 5) shows the stopping power after a short pass. Don Fuller | Special to The Wake Weekly

Rolesville receiver Cyrus Rogers (No. 8) bowls forward upon catching his first toss. His next grab for 26 yards would tally a touchdown. Don Fuller | Special to The Wake Weekly

Posted
Friday, August 23, 2019 2:09 pm

By Don Fuller | Special to The Wake Weekly

FRANKLINTON — Two playoff-quality football clubs tackled one unbeatable rival Thursday night when Mother Nature ended the Rolesville vs Franklinton game in less than three minutes.

Lightning forced the squads to the locker rooms immediately after Rolesville took a 7-0 lead. Once the heavy rains arrived, the turf was swamped and the endowment contest was eventually cancelled altogether.

It was a disappointing conclusion to what was an incredible start for the host Rams. Their defense engineered a three-and-out on Franklinton’s initial series, then the Rolesville offense delivered a four-and-six.

Rolesville’s sophomore quarterback Byrum Brown connected on all three tosses along a quick strike. He hit Cyrus Rogers for five yards on the move, then hailed Chris Best for 29 more on a fly down the right sideline. Then Brown dropped back and went deep to Rogers again on a left sideline sprint. That 26-yard touchdown and a Devin Versteegen PAT produced the edge.

The skies above the gridiron, though, dictated the last word. Rolesville and Franklinton have not announced a makeup date for the game.